Say It Aint So, Bub

Damn. Hugh Jackman has turned down a second gig as Oscar host. At least for now.

I really wanted him to come back... had such a good time last year, I did. Especially when he & Hathaway forced fantasies of a co-starring gig in a future movie musical upon me.



But then I'm easier to please than your average viewer when it comes to awards shows. For example I've read a ton of bizarro world articles in the wake of the Ricky Gervais hosting the Globes news which seem to go along the lines of 'maybe it'll finally be a fun show'. Ummm... since when AREN'T the Globes fun? The celebrities are plentiful, drunk, squeezed next to each other in sometimes revealing or incongruous table assignments. I l-o-v-e it. The Globes have always been fun. Except for that incredibly lame strike-sponsored year but let's go back to pretending that didn't happen.


If they're bringing someone back for the Oscars, my vote is for Steve Martin or Ellen DeGeneres. My dream would be somebody movie-connected who is also hilarious and can sing. If the Oscar's dont mind sharing the EMMY Host, Neil Patrick Harris would work, too. I'm sure there are less obvious names that would be great choices too... Kristin Chenoweth? Tina Fey. Hmmm. Now, it's not exactly an enviable gig, this Oscar host thing, since no matter how well you do you'll get at least a few (okay several) savage reviews. But even if the media doesn't pat the hosts on the back for their efforts, I'm sure their bank accounts are ready with a bear hug. Who would you like to see hosting the Oscars?

Hounds of Link

"If I only could, I'd make a deal with God. And get him to link our places...."

This Woman's Link
fourfour has a thang for Kate Bush. So many memories are embedded in this post I felt like my heart was going to burst whilst my mind was blown. I l-o-v-e Kate Bush. That is all. Where's her biopic? And who on earth would be gorgeous enough but suitably bonkers to play her?

Wuthering Links
Blog Stage Jane Fonda and Angela Lansbury: "non-divas"
Gawker is Warren Beatty holding up the rights to the Dick Tracy franchise. Did you even remember that this could have been one? Speaking of Dick Tracy...
Boy Culture Madonna as Jeanne Moreau in Bay of Angels. Sorta...
Screengrab inaugurates a new series "Not on DVD" with the bio Patty Hearst (1988) starring Natasha Richardson.
/Film the strange case of the distributorless Jim Carrey/Ewan Macgregor prison love story I Love You Phillip Morris
Victim of the Time the best review of Duplicity ever?
World of Wonder says goodbye to Oscar nominee Betsy Blair (Marty). In the photo with this post she's pictured with Nathaniel's two all time favorite classic male movie stars. How about that?!

The Ninth Link
Nick's Flick Picks on the Best Actresses of 1941

And finally, have to leave you with this pointed bit from Jimmy Kimmel Live. Portia De Rossi apologizing to everyone she hurt by marrying Ellen DeGeneres.



Heh.
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Hilary DeGeneres

Yesterday Hurlywood pointed me to this bizarre video of Hilary Swank as Ellen DeGeneres in the comments. Should I thank him or curse him?



On the one hand I found myself grinning like an idiot as two-time Oscar winner Hilary (née Beelzebub) danced around in a fairly decent, or at least high spirited, impression of the endearing comedienne. You may realize that grinning is, for me, not a common facial reaction when faced with the double Oscared one. But by the time Best Actress Twice Over drops (literally) into the guest chair I was back to my usual endangered stance, every hair on end. I'm so entirely weirded out by her shameless ability to make everything about herself. She's promoting what sounds like a great wig-making charity for cancer patients but when she talks about "cutting eight inches off" I'm totally transported back to the transgendering of Boys Don't Cry (though in that case it'd be adding inches on) and even once I bring myself back around to the 'for cancer wigs' part I'm mentally shouting at the screen 'You didn't cut your hair for cancer patients. You cut it to try to win Oscar³ as Amelia Earhart. I'm on to you Mister Sister!'

Amelia (2009) and Amelia (1928)

I'm so deeply suspicious of her (not excusing this bias ...just aware) that my only take-away was this: Is she trying to win her first Emmy for guest appearance with the old awards standby of celebrity mimicry?

I've been ignoring Halloween for some reason this year so the scariest thing I have to offer blog-wise is this totally random post on Hilary Swank. It's sooooo 2005. My apologies.


"BOO!"
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Joseph Gordon-Levitt Rocks the Vote (+ Proposition 8)

Defamer informs that this political memoir is from the young actor (he does not appear)



Can't agree with everything said here -- or the illusion that no politicians before Obama were worth caring about (huh?) -- but I enjoy it when actors get political. I've never understood why people think it's so wrong that entertainers speak out. They're citizens too.

In some ways mega-wealthy slightly left-leaning celebrities are our only hope. Massive corporations and massive churches are often right leaning and they're not shy about throwing their moneys and volunteers behind evil divisive movements. Think of the extremely wealthy Mormon church (and/or other right wing faith organizations) which has an endless bigotry-friendly pocket book to give to Proposition 8 in California. [That religious political machines don't have to pay taxes is one of truest victories for Pure Evil in this world --but that's a topic for another blog. -ed] Hollywood also has deep pockets and to quote Cabin in the Sky (our musical of the month) "sometimes you've got to fight the devil with a pitchfork" This is why Ellen DeGeneres and other gay-friendly celebs are asked to pick up the funding slack for civil rights causes. Apparently after Brad Pitt publicly donated people expected a lot more lower ranking stars to do the same. Now, it's not really fair to expect Ellen DeGeneres to fight tax exempt hate machines all by her lonesome. It's not like Jodie Foster is going to say, "here's $10 million from Cydney and I to counter the anti-gay hate. Here ya go!" It's not like Madonna is obsessed with gay anymore. She isn't giving it 2 good Californians either. Now celebs have to pay taxes like the rest of us. They have to budget too --they're just working with so many more zeroes tacked on to the dollar figure. And their pockets aren't as deep as any of these faux-Christian "churches" (what? Christ was not about the hate. Wake up religious types. Your churches would consider him dangerous were he to re-appear and spout that peace and love and 'judge not!' nonsense again. He'd be overturning the inhouse coffers and screaming at the hypocrites, NOT obsessing on gay people. Wake up!) but still: good for the ones who put their money where their mouth is. Rock the Vote!

Here's a "NO" on proposition 8 featuring various celebs (mostly TV actresses) & Madonna's political interlude @ the "Sticky & Sweet" Tour


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Voice Actressexuality

mB again here from A Blog Next Door. Thinking how TFE and ABND could meet halfway I came up with this post, having StinkyLulu's post on Betty Lou Gerson in mind. In a world of Jolies and Diaz's who seem to not stretch themselves when they do voice acting, let's celebrate a couple of women who have really animated their material in the past decade (if I go back any further Ursula, Belle and other Disney faves will overtake the list!):

Ellen Degeneres as Dory (Finding Nemo)

Creating one of the most memorable Pixar characters, Degeneres made Dory - the forgetful regal tang fish who accompanies Marlin in his search for his son Nemo - a treat to watch.

Best Line Reading: I shall call him Squishy and he shall be mine and he shall be my Squishy. Come on, Squishy. Come on, little Squishy. [gets stung by the jellyfish] Ow. Bad Squishy, bad Squishy!

Eartha Kitt as Yzma (The Emperor's New Groove)

Who better than former Catwoman Ms Kitt to bring the crazy villainness Yzma to life? Funny, conniving and always devilishly stylish, Yzma is a wondrous creation thanks to Kitt's signature voice.

Best Line Reading: Ah, how shall I do it? Oh, I know. I'll turn him into a flea, a harmless, little flea, and then I'll put that flea in a box, and then I'll put that box inside of another box, and then I'll mail that box to myself, and when it arrives... [laughs] ...I'll smash it with a hammer! It's brilliant, brilliant, brilliant, I tell you! Genius, I say! [knocks over bottle of poison on flower, which shrivels up and dies] Or, to save on postage, I'll just poison him with this.

Daveigh Chase (Lilo & Stitch)

Before she hit it big with Big Love, Ms Chase gave her voice to the spunky and warm-hearted Hawaiian girl in Chris /Carter\ Sander's Lilo & Stitch. She was sweet, she was lonely but could also yell and bite her way out of anything that Lilo.

Best Line Reading: [explaining the death of her parents to Stitch] It was raining, and they went for a drive. What happened to yours? I hear you cry at night. Do you dream about them? I know that's why you wreck things, and push me.

Helena Bonham Carter (Corpse Bride)

Trust Mr Burton to cast Mrs Burton in this animated wonder. Good thing Ms Bonham-Carter has the lonely, kinda creepy undead dead and lonely girl tone down.

Best Line Reading: Isn't the view beautiful? It takes my breath away. Well, it would if I had any.

I'm sure I left some wonderful performances out (Yeardley Smith as Lisa Simpson off the top of my head), so tell me who else has done good voice work over the past decade? [I'm especially intrigued about foreign language films (think Persepolis and Miyazaki's oeuvre - which I can't judge in terms of vocal performances)]